Forex spot and futures markets are two different ways to trade currencies. Here are some of the main differences between the two:

Settlement: In the spot market, currencies are traded for immediate delivery and settlement, typically within two business days. In the futures market, contracts are traded for a future settlement date, which can range from a few days to several months in advance.

Size: The spot forex market is by far the largest financial market in the world, with an average daily turnover of over $6 trillion. The futures market is much smaller, with an average daily volume of around $100 billion.

Leverage: Both spot and futures trading allow for leverage, which means traders can control larger positions than their account balance would otherwise allow. However, futures contracts generally require more margin than spot trades, which can limit the amount of leverage traders can use.

Transparency: The spot forex market is highly decentralized, with transactions taking place over-the-counter (OTC) between counterparties. This can make it difficult to obtain a complete picture of market activity. In contrast, the futures market is more centralized and transparent, with transactions taking place on regulated exchanges.

Flexibility: The spot forex market offers more flexibility in terms of trade size and duration, since trades can be entered and exited at any time. Futures contracts, on the other hand, have fixed contract sizes and expiration dates, which can limit trading flexibility.

Cost: Trading costs can be higher in the futures market due to exchange fees, commissions, and wider bid-ask spreads. In the spot market, trading costs are generally lower, but can vary depending on the broker and currency pair being traded.

Overall, the spot forex market is the more popular choice for most retail traders due to its size, liquidity, and flexibility. However, futures trading can be a useful tool for hedging and longer-term speculation.

Looking to learn about forex? Take our crash courses at our Forex University. If you’re looking to setup a demo trading account then click here. Finally, if you’re looking for Forex Signals, Forex Portugal provides free & premium signals on-demand.